where to buy Chilean Red Wine? Best brands and prices. Characteristics What to pair it with? The Chilean red wine has the acceptance of thousands of people looking for a good wine at affordable prices, its flavor and aroma make it a good choice when it comes to enjoy a moment that lasts over time.
Chile has been characterized by the production of wine for many centuries, which has led them to perfect their winemaking techniques and vine crops with which they manage to make delicious red wines of great distinction.
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what is Chilean Red Wine?
Chilean red wine is a high quality wine made with red grape varieties grown within its territory, full of aromas and red fruit flavors that make it a delight when it comes into contact with the palate.
Origin and History of Chilean Red Wine
The history of Chilean red wine dates back to 1541 when the first vines were introduced in the Captaincy General of Chile, coming from Lima, which were planted in the city of La Serena in 1547.
During the 19th century Chile became independent from the Spanish laws that ruled at that time, and it is when the Chilean privileged classes began to travel to Europe and became acquainted with French wine.
Then with the beginning of the importation of the varietals of the great Bordeaux wines, the Chileans discover that they can produce a better kind of red wine, thus beginning the modern era of Chilean wine production.
The arrival of phylloxera wiped out the European vineyards but the vines brought to Chile managed to remain healthy with vitis vinifera, which led to the discovery of Carmenère, a variety that was thought to be extinct.
Although most of the vineyards were destroyed with the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in 1980, the arrival of democracy allowed the investment of foreign winemakers who invested in the recovery of wine production.
This allowed the implementation of new and better technologies for the production of red wine and in a short time Chile became the world’s wine capital thanks to its cost-benefit ratio.
Characteristics of Chilean Red Wine
Chilean red wine is characterized for being a pleasant wine that invites to continue drinking thanks to its great personality.
- It is a fresh wine
- Intense aromas
- It has good acidity
- Contains non-invasive tannins
- Silky and with good structure
Color, taste and aroma of Chilean Red Wine
Chilean red wine is a pleasant wine with a balanced flavor
- Appearance: Ruby or cherry red color, very clean and bright
- Nose: Aromas of ripe red fruits such as redcurrants, raspberries, blackberries and plums
- Palate: It is ample, elegant, fleshy with good acidity and firm tannins that make it silky
Alcohol Content of Chilean Red Wine
Chilean red wine is a quite fresh, pleasant wine with well-defined fruity aromas. Its alcoholic content is within 13%.
Types of Chilean Red Wine
Chile has been characterized by the elaboration of red wines full of flavor and aromas that refresh the palate of the most demanding tastes. Thanks to its elaboration, Chilean red wine is distinguished in three types:
Young
Wines made from red grape varieties and at least 70% of which are aged in French oak.
Crianza
Wines aged in French and American oak barrels.
Reserve
Aged in new, second and third year French and American oak barrels.
Chilean Red Wine Pairing
Chilean red wine is a perfect wine to accompany different dishes in which the flavor is perfectly combined to enhance the flavors of the companions.
- Red Meat: Excellent companion to any presentation of red meat dishes, its flavors blend enhancing its ingredients.
- Pork: A good accompaniment to dishes made with pork in any presentation.
- Poultry: A perfect combination full of balance and flavor.
- Pasta: A pasta with spicy sauce or cheese sauce is best served with a glass of Chilean red wine.
- Cheeses: Especially those with a strong flavor.
- Sausages: A delicious combination that brings out the flavors.
how is Chilean Red Wine made?
Chilean red wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carménère, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cebernet Franc.
Once the selected grapes are obtained, fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures and then aged in French and American oak barrels for at least 12 months.
Characteristics of the grapes used to make Chilean Red Wine
The grape varieties used to make Chilean red wine are grown in soils with the country’s own characteristics that give them unique flavors thanks to the influence of the Pacific Ocean.
Cabernet Sauvignon grape
One of the best known grapes worldwide and with which delicious red wines are produced
- Small bunches of medium size and compactness
- Small berries with thick skin
- Pulp with intense herbaceous flavor
- Rot resistant
- Produces wines very suitable for aging
Merlot grape
A red grape variety that has spread all over the world.
- Small to medium-sized clusters
- Small berries with thick skin
- Early bud break and mid-season ripening that can alter with different zones and environmental temperatures
- Presents a certain sensitivity to spring frosts
- Produces a full, round, full-bodied wine, relatively alcoholic and not very acidic
Carménère Grape
A variety of French origin considered by many to be Chile’s emblematic grape.
- It is not an easy grape variety to grow
- It is sensitive to run-off and pests
- It gives wines with a remarkable color intensity, striking and deep
- It is known to ripen later than other varieties
Pinot Noir grape
a grape variety of French origin with great qualities that produces high quality wines
- Small, very compact clusters
- Small to medium sized berries
- Soft and very juicy pulp
- Very delicate variety in its cultivation, as it is very sensitive to wood fungal diseases
- Produces musts with a lot of sugar if the grapes ripen properly, with medium acidity
Syrah Grape
The red wine of the syrah grape is a wine with a lot of color, dark, intense, aromatic and very famous in the world viticulture.
- Medium-sized, compact clusters
- Small to medium sized berries
- Very vigorous vines
- Does not tolerate excessive soil moisture
- High content of very soft tannins
Cabernet Franc Grape
Its wines are very colored, pleasant and with characteristic raspberry and violet aromas.
- Medium cluster size and medium compactness
- Small berries and with thick skin
- It is very sensitive to excoriosis and wood fungus complex
- Not very sensitive to wind if pruned properly
- With somewhat lower acidity and polyphenol levels than Cabernet Sauvignon wines
Chilean Red Wine Temperature
Thanks to its pleasant aroma and taste of ripe fruit, Chilean red wine is a wine that is recommended to be served at a temperature between 15°C and 17°C (59°F and 63°F).
Price and best brands of Chilean Red Wine
Chilean red wine is known worldwide thanks to its value for money, as they are high quality wines that please the palate of all those who have the privilege of tasting it, its price ranges between 8 euros and 160 euros.
Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
A ruby red colored red, clean and bright, full of fruity aromas such as cassis, cherries, plums as well as coffee notes that make it structured, elegant and balanced on the palate €8.70.
Errazuriz, Carmenère Estate 2017
Queulat Gran Reserva 2015
Valdivieso Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2014
A garnet red with aromas of red cherry fruit, raspberry and plum notes that combine with a spicy, peppery aroma and subtle notes of vanilla, bitter chocolate and black pepper that make it very tasty and elegant 21,90 € 21,90.
Rothschild – Viña Concha y Toro Almaviva 2016
A red wine that we must try at least once, its aroma of red fruits and berries, such as raspberry and blackberry, integrate harmoniously with notes of caramel and coffee, offering a refined and distinguished nose 154 €.
